How Much Career Development Do You Owe Your Employees?

When you hear the words “career development” you’re probably thinking about the time and financial resources that you would need to invest in your workforce…

But in reality, it’s so much more than that.

Career development programs not only support employee retention and reflect well on the company, but they make employees better producers and performers.

As a great place to work, you should want to do more for your employees. Why? The benefits of career and training programs are endless. Let’s dig in…

Reward – Rewarding employees with various forms of training and development opportunities lets them know that you are listening and care about their growth. Do not resort to basic onboarding and accept mediocre performances. Encourage performance with reward and recognition.

This can be as simple as establishing a career resource center, setting up weekly meetings so employees stay on track, or goal setting. Taking the time to communicate with employees on a regular basis regarding their performance and personal development is key to a positive employee experience.

Attract – Find and attract the best talent by promoting flexible programs and career progression. This not only makes your employees effective and productive, it can create positive employer branding by publicizing leadership and development programs. You can show candidates that you support career advancement and want to enhance their knowledge and expertise.

Try updating your careers site and social media platforms to display various programs at your company. Simple images or videos of leadership training or guest speakers can do the trick. Allow candidates to visualize as well as read about all the amazing things you are doing.

Empower – Empowering your employees can translate to loyalty. Give employees freedom in career discovery to take on projects outside their comfort zone, and the confidence to develop their skills.

Try career mentoring that provides technical support while incorporating leadership into business operations. Try pairing a higher-level executive with an entry-level employee where they can create a symbiotic relationship. These practices can spark innovation, employee confidence, and lead to company growth.

Educate – Encourage career enhancement and development by creating a training series that provides real tools to employees. Participating in job-related conferences and seminars demonstrates continuous improvement and represents an investment for both the employees and the future of the company.

Industry-based and skill-based conferences happen all the time. Encouraging employees to participate in a handful of these experiences a year can allow employees to self-educate and connect with other industry professionals.